Concert Review: Joe Bonamassa - The East Coast Run - Page 5

Why do I bring this up? Chan’s can be found 25 miles north of the Station Nightclub in West Warwick, RI. Why does this name sound familiar? Just ask Great White. Yes, I was thinking of going to this tragic show that was performed on 20-Feb-03. Most folks know the “hows” and the “whys”, so I will refrain from going into detail. Still, 100 dead and 200 injured from indoor pyrotechnics? So, we all know that Joe does not need the flash of pyro or fog on a timer, but HELLO, we are in a Chinese restaurant with almost every table having one of those really cool dishes that has fire. It’s called Sterno, or Canned Heat. Yes, I do know. I used to be the food and beverage purchasing agent for a Vermont ski resort. And of course I had the updated MSDS posted on my wall where I stored it. And yes, I have seen several “minor” accidents involving this chemical. If someone flipped one of those dishes, or unintentionally tripped the waitress carrying one, in their excitement of seeing "Smokin’ Joe" performing some serious axe burning of his own, the whole place would be up in a matter of minutes. And where the stage is located, the band would probably be the last ones out. Reminder: Check for exits as soon as you go in a club! Perhaps this subject needs to continue in a different column at another time.

I was just a bit concerned about the overcrowding issue and said as much to Joe.

Monday morning, I had taken the day off from work to attend the Blues in the Schools performance at the Lebanon Valley Opera House in Lebanon, New Hampshire. I will be composing a separate write up for this Joe appearance.

Both, Tuesday and Wednesday nights were scheduled for two shows each, 8pm and 10pm, at Sculler’s Jazz Club in Boston, MA. I won’t get into any detail about this venue, considering how many fans protest this location for a show. Just go back in the archives of Joe’s official forum, you'll find more than your share of reading material.

For Tuesday’s early show, I brought three chefs I used to work with. It was about a year ago that I introduced them to Joe’s music. I like the look of awe when someone sees a Joe performance for the first time. During the ‘viola’ beginning of “Blues Deluxe”, Scott was making a stir next to me. I looked over at him and he is doing this craning of the neck to look at the pedals and gear. I asked him what he was looking for. He said that he was looking for the feed-in for the synth sound. I told him to look at how Joe has his pinky finger wrapped around the volume knob. About a week later, I brought him a copy of the Sonora, CA, guitar clinic that explains the technique. The three of them are looking forward to their next Joe experience.

Article Author: Tara Clark

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